Cleaner



Aug. 8, 1962 B. E. DARNELL 3,050,700

CLEANER Filed Mai'ch 16, 1961 INVENTOR. 55pm DARNELL United States Patent 3,056,760 CLEANER Beryl E. Darnell, 3907 Lake Meade Way, Redwood City, Calif. Filed Mar. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 96,154 2 illaims. (Cl. 15-113) This invention relates to a cleaning device for removing mud and dirt from cleated or spiked shoes such as golf shoes, track shoes, and the like.

Although the cleaning device of this invention may be used on many types of shoes, it is particularly well suited for cleaning golf shoes, and is explained below with specific reference to that application.

Golf shoes usually have removable spikes or cleats extending down from the sole to improve the footing of the player. These cleats often become clogged with mud and dirt, especially when the player often walks over damp ground and into areas of sticky mud, which sticks to the bottom of the golfers shoes to form clods that frequently build up to a depth nearly approaching that of the cleats themselves. These clods hamper the golfer in his footing, and add to the mental hazards of the game. Moreover, when the golfer stops between shots and attempts to scrape the mud from his cleats, usually with a pocket knife or stick, he becomes involved in a tedious, ineffective and time consuming procedure. Consequently, he either does a poor job in an efiort not to delay the game, or else becomes irritated in trying to do a good job in a minimum of time. In either event, his

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downwardly extending bristles 14. As shown best in FIG. 2, the brush back is an elongated rectangle a little more than twice as long as it is wide, and includes upwardly extending side walls 16 formed integrally along each side to extend upwardly and slightly outwardly so an elongated groove 17 is formed between the brush side mind is distracted, and his enjoyment of the game is a reduced.

The cleaning device of this invention permits a golfer to remove mud from the cleats of his shoes quickly and efiiciently.

Briefly, the cleaning device contemplates a substantially flat plate having sides and ends. One end of the plate has outwardly extending and laterally spaced prongs shaped to fit between adjacent cleats on a golf shoe. The plate is flat because it permits the device to be stored and carried in a minimum amount of space.

In the preferred form of the invention, the flat plate fits snugly in a recess on the back of a brush, which is used in combination with the pronged plate to provide improved cleaning of a golfers shoes. Preferably, the flat plate makes a close sliding fit in the groove in the back of the brush, and the prongs are inclined at an angle to the major plane of the flat plate and extend away from the back of the brush to facilitate their slipping into cleaning position between the cleats on the shoe. The end of the fiat plate opposite from the cleaning prongs includes a pair of laterally spaced wrench prongs with outer ends shaped to fit into wrench openings normally provided in removable spikes or cleats on golf shoes. Thus, the device can be used to remove cleats for cleaning or replacement.

These and other aspects of the invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the use of the cleaning prongs;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary View showing the use of the wrench prongs; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevation showing the use of the device in removing mud from the top edge of a shoe sole.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3, a brush 16, which may .be molded from plastic, includes a flat back 12 and walls. Referring to FIG. 3, each brush side wall 16 includes an inwardly extending, horizontal and longitudinal retaining lip 18 formed integrally with the upper edge of each respective side wall.

An elongated rectangular slidable flat plate 26 is disposed in the groove on the back of the brush, and is slightly shorter than the brush back. As shown best in FIG. 3, the plate includes integral upwardly extending side walls 22 which each make a close sliding friction fit against a respective brush side wall. Each plate side wall 22 terminates just under a respective lip 18 of the brush so the plate is prevented from any movement except sliding longitudinally with respect to the brush.

The right (as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2) end of the plate includes three laterally spaced upwardly and outwardly extending cleaning prongs 24. The outer edge 26 of each outer cleaning prong is straight and lies in the same plane as the respective side wall of the plate. The inside edges 27 of the outer cleaning prongs converge inwardly to form with the edges 28 of the central cleaning prong a pair of laterally spaced V-shaped notches 30 shaped to fit around adjacent golf cleats 32 on the sole 33 of a golf shoe, as shown best in FIG. 4. The central prong fits between the adjacent cleats.

The other (left as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2) end of the cleaning plate includes a pair of laterally spaced V-shaped wrench prongs 36 which lie in the same plane as the major surface of the cleaning plate. The wrench prongs are generally triangular in shape with a V-shaped notch 38 between them to receive the tang or point 45} of a cleat when the wrench prongs are used as shown in FIG. 5 to tighten or remove a cleat. A separate outwardly extending key or lug 42 on the outer end of each wrench prong fits into a respective wrench opening 44 in the cleat base 46 on opposite sides of the tang.

In using the cleaning device to remove mud and the like from between golf cleats, the plate is shifted to the right (as viewed in FIG. 1) with respect to the brush so that the cleaning prongs are in an exposed position as shown in phantom line. The cleaning prongs are then slipped under the mud on the shoe and between adjacent cleats to the position shown in FIG. 4 so that the surface of the prongs are parallel to the shoe sole and so that the brush extends at an angle of about 30 away from the sole. The angle of the brush permits it to serve as a convenient handle so that the prongs can then be pried upwardly to force mud away from the shoe sole and out from between the cleats. This feature is particularly useful in removing mud which has dried in place. If needed, the brush is turned over and the bristles are used to brush loose particles from between the cleats. The outer cleaning prongs are also shaped to fit over the top edge of the sole of the shoe to permit dirt and mud to be scraped from that area as shown in FIG. 6.

In using the device to tighten or remove cleats for cleaning or replacement, the plate is slipped to the left (as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2) to the phantom line position so the wrench prongs extend beyond the brush. The wrench keys are then inserted in the cleat base holes as shown in FIG. 5, and the base rotated in the desired direction. Again, the snug fit of the brush around the plate permits the brush to serve as a handle.

When the cleaning plate is not in use, it is slipped to the central position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 so that it is completely shrouded by the back and sides of the brush,

and thus permitting it to be carried comfortably in the V 3 golfers pocket'without any danger of snagging clothing or producing discomfort.

The brush and plate can have found it convenient to use a brush which takes up no more space than that of about two golf balls. 7 -With this arrangement, the brush and cleaning device is easily carried in a golf bag Iolaim:

1. A cleaning device comprising a brush having an elongated groove in its back, the groove including a pair of laterally spaced side walls having integral inwardly extending retaining lips, a substantially flat plate disposed in the groove against the back of the brush, the plate having ends and upwardly extending sides, the width of the plate and height of the plate sides being such that the plate sides make a sliding fit against the side walls of the groove and under the lips, one end of the plate having outwardly extending and laterally spaced cleaning prongs.

2. A cleaning device comprising a brush having an elongated. groove in its back, the groove including a pair of laterally spaced side Walls having integral inwardly be of any suitable size, but I p extending retaining lips, a substantially flat plate disposed in the groove against the back of the brush, the plate hav ing ends and upwardly extending sides, the width of the plate and height of the plate sides being such that the plate sides make a sliding fit against the side walls of the groove and under the lips, one end of the plate having outwardly extending and laterally spaced cleaning prongs, V

the prongs also extending away from the bottom of the groove and terminating short of the lips to be shrouded by the sides of the groove.-

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

